There are just so many hours in the day and I need more in order to get through my revisions this week. I’ll come really close, like maybe a hundred pages left to do.

I could have finished MST if I’d have A) locked myself in my office, pulled my modem connection and did nothing but write, write, write, B) not gone shopping for appliances that decided to die off one by one, gone shopping for clothes for conference, and shoes, shoes, shoes, C) not required sleep.

But what’s the fun in that? I’ll take close to done right now, and it’s not as if I’m not thinking about the story and jotting down notes on how to change/improve things. (That’d be easier if new stories weren’t nagging to be written–in due time, characters.)

Seven days before I leave for National. *gulp*

I hit the midpoint on my rewrites yesterday, and it’s so good to be half way through MST–that’s around 200 pages. Cutting a lot and adding a lot as I go, and yes, it’ll need another good editing before my cps see it. With a little luck and a lot of work, I’ll wind this up before National the end of the month. Yay!

Color me slow, but I just realized we’re about two weeks away from RWA National conference in Atlanta. *gulp* I’m so excited to meet my online friends for the very first time, meet my incredible editor, meet my super savvy agent.

Now in those two weeks I have to get through the rewrites on My Sweet Thief. Gotta do it. I have way over a third of it revised and liking the characters. Actually I love the hero, but that’s another blog, lol.

Oh, and in the lastest RT is an ad from Samhain publishing. Check out Seducing Simon, penned by Maya Banks (aka Sharon Long).

Okay, I digress–back to my schedule.

Business cards arrived and are fine–nothing fancy this time around. I have a folder with the conference info placed atop my shoes so I don’t forget it.

I shopped till I dropped and have my conference duds. The car needs another tweaking (testy damn thing) before it’s road ready. The route is mapped out. And ya know, I’m really excited about seeing the Mississippi River for the first time.

Roll on!!! Or as good friend Karin says, write on.

I’ve finished my proposal for a new series and sent it off to my agent, and now I’m ready to dive into the rewrites of My Sweet Thief, second book in my Born in a Brothal series.

I’m excited about getting back into MST. As I wrote the first draft I made a gazillion notes on things I wanted/needed to change. A few are substantial–like Mr. Arrogant who insisted he have a bigger part.

My goal is to wrap up the second draft before National, which is the last week of July. It’ll be a push, but I work well under pressure (she says with fingers crossed). And to make sure I stay on track, I’ll post progress reports here. Get on me if I forget. 🙂

No, I’m not digressing into disco mode. I came across this quote that is great advice for writers.

Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits. Thomas Edison

The worst thing an author can do is sit around waiting to hear from an editor or agent. Better they dive into another project, if only brainstorming ideas.

That’s what I’ve been doing ever since I got serious about writing. I hustled. When I sent one work out, I got busy on another. I studied the craft and successful authors.

But now that I’ve sold two books, can I sit back now and relax? No!

Being published just ups the stakes. I have to keep hustling, churning out new ideas that will be better than the last ones and continue honing my craft. As I see it, that’s the game plan to achieve a lucrative writing career.

Do the hustle. 🙂